Danny Phantom Oneshots
by MaxRideNut
Summary: A series of single chapter bits, none of which are related, have been collected here. None will over-reach a T rating. Now Playing: They Don't Understand. Maddie is suddenly taken to an old clock tower. Can Clockwork show her what she has missed?
1. The Note

Maddie Fenton glanced up from her ghost hunting photo album in time to see the family room glow blue. A small, round object landed on the green carpet, looking as if it has just been thrown through the wall. Maddie jumped to her feet and grabbed the nearest weapon—the Fenton Ghost De-Ecto-Fier (another one of her husband's ideas), but the wall had already returned to its normal state of tangibility. She pushed a button on her large wristwatch. The gadget suddenly folded out and became a ghost scanner, showing no ectoplasmic activity in the area. Maddie cautiously approached the thing on the floor, which turned out to be a wad of paper, with some type of metal clip attached to it. As she came closer to the crumpled piece of parchment, the clip fell under her shadow and just…disappeared. The ghost hunter kept her gun charged. She wanted to be ready for anything; particularly a trap, which she knew this definitely was.

Maddie carefully picked up the paper with the very tip of her hazmat-gloved fingers. It was a note! She narrowed her eyes as she read the words that were scribbled there:

_"Fentons,_

_We have been a bit misunderstanding of each other for quite some time now. I suggest a truce. I hope to show you that death does not change the personality of the victim of circumstances. I was fourteen when I became a ghost; just because I can now walk through walls, it does not mean I have turned evil. If you will agree to meet with me, I can explain every action you have or have not witnessed. If it will make you feel more at ease, I will allow you to put me in the Fenton Ghost Net, but please keep the power at a minimum. I sincerely wish to resolve our differences quickly._

_Very hopefully,_

_Danny Phantom_

_PS: No, Maddie, this is not a trap. I just want you to understand. Death has given me a new perspective on life."_

Maddie growled as she pitched the note to the trash can. How dare he! How could he suggest that he had any reasonable explanations for what he had done? "He will pay for every wrong he has ever committed!"

A sigh emanated from every corner of the room, and Maddie gripped her weapon even tighter in anticipation.

"But, I already have," she heard. Maddie whirled around to find the source of the voice. How had the ghost finder not alerted her of the presence? "I made a mistake, and had to watch my family die as a result. Even after I went back in time and changed it, I am still haunted by the memories of what I saw in an alternate timeline. No matter how hard I try to do what is right, I somehow always mess up." Was that remorse she heard? No—it couldn't be! Ghosts don't have any feelings other than hate! "Even now, I regret every sin I have ever done; accidental and purposeful, big and small. The damage I caused when I was overshadowed, the pain I caused when I fought back in self-defense. Even when it wasn't entirely my fault—when I was simply unable to prevent the truly evil ghosts from hurting my family, my friends, my city. I feel the guilt and hurt of every loss felt by every victim of circumstance."

The speaker took a deep, shaky breath, and Phantom appeared before her. He continued, "I am an outcast in both worlds. The humans fear me, while the ghosts consider me a freak. A half-ghost that walks among humans some of the time, but defies the full ghosts' every attempt to take over the city. I am little more than a freaky kid with freaky powers; I am still half-alive, but my own parents consider me an emotionless threat. My father rants about ripping me apart 'molecule by molecule' while my mother hates me for simply existing. Neither ever thinks that maybe there is more to me than meets the eye, and neither asks my side of the story." Phantom made a half-hearted chuckle. "And you know what the worst part of it is? They don't even know it's me. They think that Danny_Phantom_ is always out to get Danny _Fenton_, but they never realize that we are the same person."

Maddie gasped as two white rings washed over her enemy, and left her son in his place. Danny gazed at her with exhausted eyes before whispering, "I only ever wanted to be accepted. I only ever wanted to protect you, but you never gave me a chance. You never seemed to notice when I managed to help you, but you never forgot when I made a mistake. I'm sorry I couldn't do better."

He turned and walked dejectedly through the wall. Maddie stared after him, shame apparent on her face. She wanted to chase after him—to tell him that she was sorry-but she was frozen in place.

Jazz strode into her home just in time to see her mother race up the stairs to her room, tears running down her face.


	2. With You Daddy

Madeline Fenton blinked back tears as she looked at the sign on the hospital door:

_Jack Fenton_

_Terminal_

An hour ago, her husband had been chasing the Wisconsin ghost and had been seriously hit with a ectoplasmic blast. The ray was pink with white and blood-red fire swirling around it. The vampire had laughed and disappeared, but before Maddie could attend Jack, that Phantom kid had grabbed the large man and flew off. Two minutes later, she had gotten a phone call telling her that Jack was in the Amity Park Hospital Emergency Care Center. She and Jasmine had rushed over, but somehow Danny was already there. Now all three were fidgeting on a bench, each trying to be strong for the others.

The doctor came out. Maddie and Jazz jumped to their feet, but Danny glared at the wall for a few more seconds before looking expectantly at the man. "Dr. McGinnis" (as the ID card on his white coat proclaimed) sighed apologetically.

"Well, I'm not sure what we can do for him. Everything we've tried only seems to make him worse. I've dealt with ghost attack-related injuries before, but the effects are almost completely different in this case then they usually are."

Maddie limply sunk back down. Jazz sat on the bench next to her mother and hugged her. Danny clenched his fists and his jaw as he tried not to cry. Or blow up and kill somebody; it was hard to tell which…

A small sound came from behind the door and the doctor rushed back in. When he returned, he said, "Danny Fenton, your father wants to speak with you."

Danny took a moment to calm himself before entering. The room smelled heavily of chemicals, and there were tubes and wires surrounding the bed a few feet away. He approached the hulking shape that the medical equipment was attached to. Jack moaned as the raven haired youth came into his vision. And then the door closed.

The two Fenton females paced outside as they waited their turn to see Jack. Suddenly, Jazz noticed a white flash behind the crack between the bottom of the door, and the tiled hospital floor. She rushed to open the door a crack, looked inside, and then ran down the hall and outside the building. Maddie swiftly charged into her husband's room, to find Jack unconscious and Danny nowhere in sight. She worriedly began to stroke the large hand with tubes taped to it.

Less than four days later, the Fentons were too upset to go home, much less arrange the funeral. Sam offered several times, but they refused to spend the night at her house. Maddie decided that they would just pay for the space in the cemetery, put Jack down, and completely skip the ceremony.

When she woke up in the Fenton RV after a grief-filled nap, Maddie once again noticed that Danny and Jazz were gone. She decided to take a walk to clear her mind. She wandered, not really paying much attention to where she was going. When Maddie finally stopped walking and gazed at her surroundings, she saw that she was in her own laboratory. Tears filled her eyes for the what seemed like thousandth time in a week; this place had been Jack's haven. There were so many memories.

She was torn from her thoughts, though, as she realized that the ghost portal was open. The swirling ectoplasm seemed somehow much different now that the excitement was gone. Her interest in ghosts had been sparked by Jack's enthusiasm, so now the loss of her husband was changing her point of view. Speech came from behind the green mist.

"But Dad! **I can't lose you again!**" Danny's voice sounded strained. But it didn't sound completely like Danny; it somehow sounded more mature, but with a child-like yearning. Someone else boomed a response, but Maddie couldn't make out the words.

"Don't leave me! Don't leave any of us! **Please!**" Suddenly, Danny Phantom burst through as if he had been pushed. The next thing either person knew, the portal was engulfed in large, cackling bolts of electricity. The ghost kid cried out, but it was too late. Jack's proudest invention was destroyed, beyond any repair.

By the time the woman recovered from the shock, Phantom was huddled in a corner and crying with such a force that she thought he could have been choking, if he had needed to breathe. She didn't know how to comfort him, so she just stood by him, watching. When his fit finally calmed to dull sobbing, he began to murmur:

"_With you daddy, take me with you daddy  
>Everywhere you're going to, I just wanna be with you!<br>Right with you daddy, don't leave me daddy!  
>Don't you know that's right where I belong?"<em>

Danny Phantom took a few deep breaths (he really did breathe?) and looked up at Maddie with a drawn, soaked face. He trembled as he spoke.

"Jack told me to give you this note. He didn't want to move on without you, but he said he couldn't stay behind, either." He handed her a small piece of pad paper. She put it into her pocket; as much as she wanted to read the note, she needed more to understand this confusion before her.

"Who were you in life?" The ghost kid blinked in surprise; this obviously wasn't the question he had expected. He looked down.

"A teenager with obsessive parents. I disobeyed them, and now I'm…this." He held up his hand and pulled off the white glove. His fingertips had a crackling energy around them, and his skin looked burnt. His eerie aura was much stronger without the HazMat material to block it. Phantom replaced the glove and made a fist.

"I swear," he said between gritted teeth, "I will not rest until I destroy the monster who killed my father, and your husband. He has gone unpunished _far_ too long!" Phantom's eyes glowed fiercely as he flew through the ceiling. Maddie looked on in awe. The confusion had only increased.


	3. Phantom Diploma

I phased through the roof of the gymnasium and settled into a crouch into the rafters, a Fenton Thermos pressing against my hip. The place was packed – as I figured it was going to be – and I scanned the mass of chairs that littered the floor. Everyone was dressed in black, a somber atmosphere filled the huge room, and most people were quietly focused on the speaker.

"Dang it," I whispered with a scowl. "I miss everything."

Mr. Lancer, the new principal of Casper High, was gripping the podium, the squeaky speakers amplifying his voice. "…all year. This class was home to some of the best and the brightest Casper High has ever seen, including many superior athletes. We are losing you, class of 2010, and we will not be better because of it."

My own high school graduation and where was I? Shaking off Skulker and being late – as per usual for me – and now hiding in the shadows. Ghosts never failed to ruin the highlights of my life.

Ripping my eyes away from Lancer, I studied the students sitting nervously in their chairs. With those graduation caps, everyone was identical from up here. I found my empty seat and counted over three seats, locating the person I assumed was Tucker. The slight glow of some electronic something in his lap seemed to prove me right. Sam, though, was impossible to find.

My parents were easier to locate. Dad was like a bright orange beacon, a camcorder in his hands and an excited grin on his face. Mom was sitting next to him with a pile of black material in her lap and an annoyed look to her. There was the robe and cap I was _supposed_ to be wearing.

"Great," I hissed. How was I supposed to sneak over and get it? And where was Jazz? She was supposed to be here.

"And with that, I'll turn this over to your class Valedictorian, Samantha Manson."

"What?" My head jerked up to the stage and I watched with wide eyes as Sam Manson – _my_ Sam – stood up from a chair and walked up to the podium. "When did she…?"

Mouth dropping open more and more as Sam calmly unfolded a speech and moved the microphone to the right level, I couldn't quite grasp what was going on. Sam would have told me if she was giving the graduation speech – wouldn't she? Why would she keep that a secret from me?

Judging from the whispers coming from my classmates, the announcement of the class Valedictorian came as a surprise to a whole lot of people. Sam was smart, but apparently nobody had suspected her to be the first in our class.

"'You have brains in your head, you have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You're on your own and you know what you know. You're the guy who'll decide where you go.'" Sam looked out over her class and I half-imagined that her eyes caught on my empty chair. "Dr. Seuss wrote that in a little kids' book decades ago, but it applies to all of us today. We've been given the knowledge we need and every opportunity in the world. Now it's our chance to pick a path a follow it to the rest of our lives."

I wrapped one of my hands around the supports and I settled onto the rafter, my feet dangling into space. Something in the back of my head was bugging me to hurry up and figure out how to get to my seat, but I was entranced by Sam calmly addressing the entire senior class. I had to watch this.

"I've been talking to a lot of people over the past few months – not that they knew I was working on this speech – and you'd be surprised what kind of young adults will be soon be crossing this stage. One of them has a full scholarship to a veterinary college already. Another has been accepted into the military. Yet another plans on heading into a design program and becoming a famous fashionista. I want to share some of their stories with you so you know exactly who it isAmityParkis losing.

"Dash Baxter-" Sam paused as the class cheered, whistled, and clapped for a moment. In the front row, the tall person I figured was Dash was sliding down in his seat. "Dash is really well known as an athlete. Two months ago, Dash was accepted into the Air Force and will be headed off to basic training in August. Dash is strong, determined, and perfect for the military – he'll make it through training with flying colors. Dash Baxter will be out there, saving our country and fighting for freedom."

I couldn't help the small smile as another round of clapping filled the auditorium drowned out whatever Sam said next. Of course she'd start with someone popular like Dash; now she had everyone's attention.

As the noise drifted back into silence, I couldn't help sneaking a glance towards Dash. Would the bully ofAmityParkreally be a hero in a few months? That was hard for me to imagine.

"When we're talking about someone who can overcome adversity, the person everyone has to mention is Valerie Grey. Her mother died when she was in middle school and just as she started to pick up the pieces of her life a year later, everything fell apart again. She lost her home, her friends, her future… just about everything." A short stab of guilt sliced through my heart at the memory. "It threw her at first, but then her indomitable spirit jumped into play. She found new friends, a job, started saving for college, and bounced back stronger than ever. Sometimes from the shadows and not always on the side of what was popular, Valerie fought for what she believed in. She plans on attendingAmityParkCommunity Collegenext year in their criminal justice program, then transferring to a larger college and becoming a lawyer."

I sat there, spellbound, as Sam wove her way through the stories of some of our classmates. She mentioned how Star got her scholarship, how Paulina had been accepted into a great fashion program in California, how Tucker planned on building his own technology business from the ground up, how Kwan was getting into his parents' business, and how many of our classmates were set to do something great.

She brushed a piece of hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear, and I felt a reflexive smile drift onto my face. Sam was so beautiful and strong, standing up there.

"One last story for you, before I let you all graduate. There is one person in our class who is a true hero already, who has fought for you and suffered for you and made your lives better than you can imagine. This person has given up just about everything to do what was right without ever once asking for something in return. This person is a member of our class and truly exemplifies everything our class stands for. Strength. Integrity. Loyalty. Perseverance. And doing all of this from the shadows, without any accolades. This person was a real asset of our class and we'll never know everything that this person did for us, but we will know what we lost."

I was staring at her, my heart beating loudly in my chest. She was talking about me, I was sure of it, but she wouldn't tell everyone who I was… would she? As always, I felt that strange turmoil in my chest when I thought about people knowing exactly what I'd been through the past four years. The excitement of them learning about it versus the terror of them actually knowing.

Sam was quiet, that small smile on her face, looking out over the crowd. Everyone was silent, waiting for her to say who it was. She chuckled a little, then shook her head. "And without further ado, let's graduate!"

There was a moment of confused silence, then my classmates seemed to catch on to the fact that she wasn't going to tell a name. I felt a flash of relief and a moment of chagrin at thinking that she would tell them without asking me first. The audience laughed and cheered as Sam made her way off the stage to her seat and Mr. Lancer retook the podium.

"Thank you, Ms. Manson. Shall we get started?" He picked up the first diploma on the table as the new vice principal took his place at the microphone to call out names. That familiar graduation tune started to fill the gym, coming from the small section of junior band members sitting beside the stage.

"Robert Ackerman."

I watched Bobby nervously stand up and head up to the front before it suddenly hit me that we were graduating. And where was I? Still sitting stupidly in the rafters.

"Betty Artson."

Invisibility was just a flicker of a thought away and I slipped off the ceiling supports. I dropped through the air to hover over Sam still settling into her seat and straightening her clothes. Reaching out, I adjusted her cap for her.

She jerked a little and looked up in surprise, then snorted out a laugh and rolled her eyes. "Hurry up," she whispered to me.

"I know," said the kid sitting next to her. "I'm so nervous I wish this were over."

Sam smiled slightly and nodded. She shot one last glance up into the air before turning her attention back to the front.

"Dashell Baxter."

Dashell? Seriously? With an inner snicker, I made my way to an empty restroom to stash the Skulker-filled Thermos. When I appeared in the hallway, I was seemingly as human as the rest of my classmates. Yanking at the collar of the jacket my mom had insisted I wore, I hurried through the doors into the gymnasium and snuck towards where I'd seen my parents sitting.

"StarEaston."

Mom caught sight of me when I was still a few rows away, her eyes narrowing in a combination of fury and reassignment. "You'll be late for your own funeral some day, kiddo," she said as she handed over the cap and gown. Dad noticed I had finally arrived and turned the camcorder in my direction with a smile.

"You dunno the half of it," I muttered, pulling the gown over my jacket.

"David Erleigh."

"Where were you?"

It was the loaded question she'd been asking a lot recently. "I got stuck in the bathroom," I reported awkwardly, rubbing the back of my neck. I knew it was a lie, she knew it was a lie, and the only person either of us was fooling by this point was Dad. She didn't know the truth yet – she might never know the complete answer – but she knew what the truth wasn't.

She sighed. "Get going; you're going to miss your name being called."

"Go get 'em Danny-boy!" Dad cheered, jiggling the camera so much I figured anyone required to watch the replay later would get motion sickness.

I rolled my eyes and worked my way down the steps, across the floor to where the chairs full of students were waiting, and slunk to my seat.

"Dude," Tucker said, leaning forwards with an arched eyebrow, "you made it." He held a fist out in front of the people sitting between us.

"Carla Fanwright."

I tapped his fist and scowled as the girl sitting next to me vanished. "Don't sound so surprised."

"Sam's going to kill you for missing her speech. She's been working on it for months."

"I heard it," I said, taking a deep breath and straightening my cap. "You ready for this?"

"Daniel Fenton."

If Tucker answered my question, I never heard him. I pushed myself to my feet and followed Carla up towards the front of the room. Hesitating a moment as the overweight principal shook the hand of the girl before me, I took one last look around as a high school student. This was big. _Big_-big. I was graduating.

The five steps up to the stage where Mr. Lancer was holding onto my diploma looked like skyscrapers. Climbing them had my heart beating in a way it hadn't in a long time, my palms wet and nervousness clawing at me. Here I was, the great ghost fighter and hero and survivor of the antics of Vlad Masters, and I was definitely feeling the sharp fingers of terror in my mind because of five little steps.

It was stupid to a new degree, but my brain was conveniently ignoring that fact.

"Congratulations, Mr. Fenton," Mr. Lancer said, grabbing my hand and shaking it.

At some point, I remembered to shake his hand back rather than let my arm move around limply. "Thanks," I said with an uneasy smile.

"Of all the people in this room, you deserve this," he said softly. "And here I was thinking you weren't even going to be here."

"I wouldn't miss this for the world," I replied honestly, accepting the diploma he pushed into my hands without even glancing at it. I turned to leave, but something felt off about the thing in my hand. I looked down at it and hesitated. "Mr. Lancer, you gave me two."

"I know," he said, grabbing the next one and gesturing for the next person to climb the steps.

"But…"

"Go sit down, Mr. Fenton."

I'd heard that tone in his voice before – and I figured I probably wouldn't ever again – so I just nodded and jumped off the edge of the stage. The junior standing by the steps handing out a rose to each graduate sent me a furious look and walked over to hand me the flower.

"Tucker Foley."

Passing my best friend on the way, I sent him a grin and gave him a high-five before settling into my seat to watch Tucker saunter happily across the stage and accept his diploma, his quick protest about not being able to get his diploma electronically filtering over the audience.

It wasn't until Tucker had his rose and was on his way back that I again thought to look down at my diploma. Diplomas. Why had Lancer given me two?

I opened up the top one, scanning it quietly. There was my name, written in calligraphy, and Lancer's signature scrawled across the bottom. A thrill shot through me at seeing my name. It was official: I had graduated. I'd made it!

Closing it a little reluctantly, I slid it under the second one and opened that one, curious.

"CasperHigh School," it read, the school's logo emblazoned under the name. "This certifies that Daniel Phantom has…"

I froze, my hands moving reflexively to slowly close the diploma, my mind completely empty for a long few seconds.

"You look like you're going to be sick," Tucker whispered as he pushed past me to settle back into his seat, diploma in hand. "You okay?"

I nodded, or at least I think I nodded, but whatever I did, Tucker leaned back in his chair to enjoy the rest of the graduation and left me to my own thoughts. Not that I really had any – my eyes looked up to find the teacher who had driven me crazy so many times and I just stared at him blankly.

What the…

When did…

How did…

Why didn't he…

"Amy Zicherson."

I blinked suddenly, shaking myself out of the dazed stupor I'd found myself in. The short girl with the glasses walked past my row, the last kid in our class to receive her diploma, and I watched her nervously move across the stage and shake the principal's hand.

Somewhere in my head, I'm sure I realized at that point that I'd missed seeing Sam's graduation, but it didn't register yet.

"Congratulations to everyone." Mr. Lancer's voice rang out over the gymnasium, having commandeered the microphone from the stumpy vice-principal. "I know how hard you've worked over the years and you're ready for whatever the world will throw at you."

I almost thought he looked right at me when he said that.

"I expect letters from each and every one of you telling me about how much you've made of your life after high school. You're poised to rule the world and I, for one, am sure that the world will be much better place because of it. We'll miss you all."

There was a moment of silence as Mr. Lancer looked down at his podium. When he looked up again, his eyes were shining and he had an odd smile on his face. "If the graduates would please stand." He waited for the noise and the shuffling of people to stop before continuing. "Please move your tassels."

I reached up with everyone else, feeling the silken threads running through my fingers as I moved the orange and black tassel to the other side of my cap in that age-old ritual. It brushed against my face as it settled into place.

"People ofAmityPark, may I present to you the Class of 2010!"

The cheering and clapping that broke out nearly drowned out the sound of the band striking up whatever song the band director had on tap next. Tucker wormed past the people and grabbed me into a rough hug before letting go to jump onto a chair and yell in triumph.

Now would be the perfect time for a ghost to attack.

As I made my way over to Sam with the intent to smother her with a congratulatory hug, I couldn't keep that thought from surfacing in my brain. My eyes quickly scanned the gymnasium, but there was nothing except my own paranoia. At least not that I could _see…_

"Danny!" I jerked my mind out of its suspicious circlings when Sam pushed her way within reach of me and punched my shoulder. "You missed my speech!"

"I heard your speech," I argued back, speaking loudly to be heard over the cheering graduates. "On behalf of the entire hero community, I have to say that you calling Dash hero-material was a bit low. I did like the ending though."

The smile that lit her face was truly beautiful. It made her eyes sparkle and it brought her whole body to life. "I'm glad you made it," she said, throwing her arms around my shoulders and hugging tightly.

She was so soft, so warm, and so wonderful that I could have stayed like that forever, my arms wrapped around her and my nose in her hair. "You have no idea how glad I am too," I whispered.

It wasn't to last, however. Dad made his way through the crowd, parting them like a bowling ball going through a hapless set of pins. "Danny!" he shouted, waving the video camera around wildly. "Over here! I need to get a picture!"

"Come on," Sam said, untangling herself from me and dragging me towards my parents. I sighed and followed, watching my mom and Jazz appear almost like magic from behind my father's bulk. "I need a picture of you and me – and you know that my parents'll refuse to take it."

"Congrats, little brother," Jazz said with a smile, giving me a quick hug.

"Where were you sitting?" I managed to ask before Dad pulled me away and deposited me near a wall next to Sam.

She smiled. "A couple of rows up. We got here a bit late and there weren't many seats left. I saw everything though." Her smile was higher on side than the other, and I nearly missed the wink. I realized she was probably discreetly referring to my seat in rafters. I offered her a short, embarrassed chuckle, then put two fingers behind Sam's head for the camera.

"Smile!" Dad commanded, handing the video camera to Jazz and grabbing a smaller camera out of one of his pockets. Mom motioned for me to drop the fingers, and I did. I plastered on a rather goofy grin in exchange. We could take more serious pictures later; Clockwork knows we had enough film.

"Who gave your dad camera duty?" Sam asked softly. "He's always a bit… overzealous."

"No idea," I murmured back. "Now smile before he gets out some invention to _make_ you smile."

The camera clicked and I blinked spots out of my vision as Dad examined the picture on the small screen with narrowed eyes. Tucker suddenly appeared next to me and threw an arm around my shoulders. "We need another picture!" he chirped.

Dad seemed to agree, since the camera was up to his eye again. I was about to smile again when I felt something tugging me. Looking down, I saw my mom pulling my diploma out of my hands. "I'll hold onto it for you," she said.

I nodded and grabbed Tuck's hat right as the camera clicked, watching out of the corner of my eye as she opened my diploma…

_Diplomas_…

Crap.

The camera flashed again.

"Daniel. James. Fenton! Explain this, _now_."


	4. They Don't Understand

Madeline Fenton shot the ghost kid again. For a moment, she thought she saw exhausted depression in his glowing eyes as he dodged once more. She shrugged off the feeling; ghost can't feel emotions other than hatred! Maddie fired again. Before the blast could hit Phantom, someone spoke, and everything froze. A portal opened, and an old specter walked through. As he turned toward the immobile ghost hunter, the scar on his eye pulsed.

"Do you understand?" Even as a whisper, his deep voice echoed as if he was shouting into an immense cave.

Their surroundings vanished, and they were suddenly in a large clock tower, facing a large, circular screen. The ghost placed a pendant on Maddie's neck before immediately putting a shield around her. A picture faded into view on the display.

Seeing as she could not attack the ghost that held her prisoner, she watched as a scene played out, somehow narrated in her mind:

_A mother ridin' on a city bus;_

_Her kid's are yellin', kickin' up a fuss._

_Everybody starin' not knowin what she's goin' through._

_Somebody said, "Don't you even care?_

_Do you let 'em do that everywhere?"_

_She slowly turned around, looked up and stared._

_She said, "Please forgive them, but they've been up all night._

_Their father struggled, but he finally lost his fight._

_He went to heaven in the middle of the night._

_So please forgive my children."_

The scarred ghost changed into a child as he lowered his voice. The echo didn't follow as he murmured, "They don't understand."

The scene changed to show her son, sitting in his room with his two friends and Jazz. Danny sighed,

"_Everybody's busy with their own situation;_

_Everybody's lost in their own little world._

_Bottled up, hurry it up;_

_Try to make a dream come true."_

The picture faded again to show Phantom sitting on a park bench. He was staring into space with a blank expression.

"_Everybody's livin' like there ain't no tomorrow._

_Maybe we should stop and take a little time._

_Cause you never really know what your neighbor's goin' through."_

"They don't understand." A new scene, but just as clear as the others.

_A man drivin' on the Interstate;_

_Slowin' down traffic makin' everybody wait._

_Everybody starin', not knowing what he's goin' through._

_Somebody honked from the passin' lane,_

_Yellin' out the window, "Hey I ain't got all day!"_

_The old man looked around, then he caught his eye._

_He said, "Please forgive me, but it's been late on life._

_My wife has passed away, and my kids don't have the time._

_I've been left all alone, and it's getting' hard to drive._

_So please forgive me, children."_

"They don't understand." The next clip showed Phantom crying on a rooftop. Maddie was too awed by what she was seeing to notice that the shield had dissipated. The young spirit spoke with the voice of one condemned.

"_Everybody's busy with their own situation;_

_Everybody's lost in their own little world._

_Bottled up, hurry it up;_

_Try to make a dream come true."_

Tears poured from the ghost kid's eyes in a constant river now as he continued to shakily talk.

"_Everybody's livin' like there ain't no tomorrow._

_Maybe they should stop and take a little time._

_Cause they never really know what their hero's goin' through!"_

The Goth girl that Danny hung out with entered the scene. She put a comforting hand on Phantom's shoulder as she quietly told him,

"_They don't understand."_

The screen turned to a glowing, green blank, and the ghost hunter turned to the adult ghost that floated near her. "What is this?" she asked solemnly.

The ghost once again became an old man as he inclined his head to her in a sort of half-bow.

"I am Clockwork, ghost Master of Time. I see and supervise everything that was, and is, and could come in the future," he told her. "The one you call Public Ghost Enemy Number 1 is not what you believe him to be. Danny Phantom tries to protect the city from violent ghosts, but at the same time, he must deal with the hardships of being a teenager. He also must sort out the problems that come from being a creature that has been stereotyped as evil, along with protecting people like you. His parents are still alive, and obsess over destroying him. He has seen an alternate future, and has nightmares of what will happen if he cannot continue to prevent that future."

Maddie felt almost ashamed, but only for a moment. Suddenly she glared as she remembered something.

"What of the destruction he has caused, and his part in kidnapping the mayor?" she demanded. The Clockwork looked at her and she backed off a little.

He sighed, "Danny has been thrown into buildings in his fights against the Wisconsin ghost and Skulker, among others. You just always arrive after the fight is over. He would never do anything purposefully damaging to public property or physically harmful to a human, which is why he never fights back when you attack him." Maddie blinked in recognition. Clockwork continued, "The mayor was overshadowed, and Danny was being forced to grab Masters against his will. Madeline Fenton, you are an expert on ghosts, but your unbending conclusion has blinded you to the obvious. Tell the truth; before today, if Danny Phantom had saved your life, would you have admitted his goodwill, or would you have decided it was a trap and attacked him?"

The blue-clad woman broke down in tears on the spot. When she finally got a hold of herself, she looked up to see that she was back where she had been before the Time Master had showed up. She heard, "Time in," and suddenly the world was un-frozen. She saw the blast from her Fenton Bazooka hit Phantom, and ran over to catch the falling ghost child. But he only sank a few meters before hovering. He clutched his side, but looked in bewilderment at the woman below him. He gradually lowered himself, his weariness clear on his face.

"What changed your attitude so quickly, Mrs. Fenton?" he measured his words carefully.

"I met the Master of Time, and he showed me what I missed." Maddie also spoke with awareness. "I'm sorry for the pain I caused you, when you already had so much to bear." Phantom's eyes widened.

"You met Clockwork?" he whispered in awe. Maddie slowly nodded, wondering what was so strange about that.

"What all did he tell you?" he asked cautiously.

"He told me that you were trying to protect the city, even though we hunt you and you have more problems than any teenager should have to face. He told me that your parents are still alive and hate you, and he showed me that you have more honor than I have seen in many humans. He told me that you were forced to grab the mayor when he was overshadowed. And…" Her voice dropped to a whisper as she continued, "he showed me my own mistakes. He showed me that my decided hatred of you had blinded me to your true nature. I saw you crying, and I think that I was the reason." She began to tear up again.

To her surprise, a white-haired youth hugged her as she cried. "I'm sorry too," he whispered.

"For what?" she managed to ask through his shoulder.

"For thinking that you would never accept me."

Maddie looked up into a pair of crystal blue eyes. Wait—BLUE eyes? She backed up and gasped her son was standing before her, an expression of relief glowing on his face.

"My parents are still alive, but now I know that at least one of them no longer wants me destroyed. And that is far more than I ever would have guessed." He smiled slightly.

"B-bu-but how?" she stuttered. Her son hugged her again.

"The portal accident. The shock half-killed me. A human with ghost powers. A ghost that is still living. I walk the fine line between life and death, and it can be a bit stressful at times." He looked into her deep violet eyes and sighed with contentment. "But right now, I am perfectly happy with who I am."


	5. Flying Lessons

"You're surrounded!" The haggard man grins cruelly, his crooked teeth gleaming in the moonlight. "Strong as you are, you can't take us all, and there's nowhere left to run!"

Phantom's green eyes flash. "Don't be too sure. Leave this place, without your prize, and your chances of living to see your next birthday will be greatly improved."

"HA! Look at him, talking all big like he's the one driving us off a cliff! Take them!"

A hand grips each of my arms, and I find myself pulled with my protectors as they jump backward.

For a fraction of a second, we are suddenly engulfed in a strange green cloud. Just as quickly, the cloud spits us back out, and we fall a few more feet before landing on solid ground. Too short of a fall...

Danny and Phantom are already on their feet, and my dark haired slave offers me a hand up. I accept it, wondering at what just happened. I spin slowly, taking in my surroundings. So bizarre; otherworldly doesn't even begin to describe it! Where is the sky? Where is the ground? The stone and dirt beneath me extends no more than five feet in any direction, and everywhere I look is just an endless, dreary green. I can see a few other pieces of earth hanging in the air in the distance, and odd purple doorways dot the expanse of otherwise empty space all around us. A few tendrils of green mist swirl about randomly. Directly above our heads, a single thick cloud floats like a foggy disk, spinning slowly like it's being stirred by a giant invisible spoon.

"Where are we?" I breathe.

"You know of the four Realms?" Phantom asks. He speaks almost reverently, so quiet and low.

"Yes," I reply. "The Mortal Realm, the Immortal Realm, and the two Realms of the Dead. You don't need to be a priest to have heard about them."

"This is the place where all four Realms meet; a place where the line between life and death, between mortality and godhood, are blurred." The mysterious hero runs a hand through his silver hair, and his black armor reflects the shifting green light of the... sky.

"You will be safe here, Highness," he tells me. "I will return to the Mortal Realm and do what I can to make that place safe for you again." With that, he jumps higher than I might have thought possible, into the portal, which closes as soon as his boots disappear from my sight.

Danny watches him go, silent as the day I met him. The emerald in his slave collar hums more loudly than ever, the strange magic within it somehow made stronger by the energy in this place.

"So... what do we do now?"

He turns to me. He blinks, slowly, like he's trying to wake up from a very confusing dream. Then he backs away, and without any warning, allows himself to fall backward off the edge of our floating island.

"DANNY!"

And then just like that, he reappears, hovering. He smiles softly, his blue eyes twinkling mischievously. He cocks his head to the side, lazy slides over several feet, then does the reverse and ends up back where he'd started. A slow backward loop, and then he holds out his hand.

"How- how are you doing that?" My throat feels like sandpaper; I swallow. Too many surprises today. Too many things I can't understand. Danny dips his head meaningfully, his arm still outstretched.

"I can't- I can't reach you! Please, come closer!"

He shakes his head. He flies over me, and lands on the far side of the island. I run toward him, but before I can touch him, he leaps back into the air.

"Stop it! How are you doing that? Come back!" I cross my arms, narrow my eyes, and pull a card I haven't even thought to use in almost a year. "I command it!"

My slave closes his eyes and bites his lip. When he opens them, something is different. Slowly, he sinks back down to my level. He reaches out his hand again, but this time he doesn't beckon me. He begins to carefully shape words with his fingers, the sign language we haven't needed in months.

How did you get from there to here?

"What?"

You were on one side of the stone. He signs patiently. Now you are on the other. How did you get from there to here?

"I just... walked. You know how to walk. It's just one foot, then the other." I furrow my eyebrows. I don't like it when people do this; why can't he just come out and say it?

And how do you do that?

That stops me. I know it has to do with muscles and bones... But I don't really know how. I've never really thought about it; I just... walk.

Here, flying is like walking. It's not about how to get somewhere. You just decide to go. He goes back up again, and holds out his hand to me.

Decide? Fine, then. I decide to fly up to him.

Nothing happens. I concentrate harder. Still nothing. Why is this so hard? It can't be that it's just impossible; Danny's just as human as I am! What's wrong with me?!

He's still waiting. He doesn't sign anything more. He hangs there, just out of my reach.

"I can't!" I tell him. "Help me! Please!"

His hand drops to his side. Then it comes up- and he sticks his thumb in his ear. He waves at me, sticks his tongue out, _mocks_ me for not getting it!

"Stop it!" He doesn't. He keeps right on going, dancing in place and doing fancy flips and loops. "Leave me alone! It's not my fault!" He smirks, having far too much fun at my expense. I growl. _Enough!_ I punch him in the stomach. He doubles over, too hurt to keep making fun of me. I immediately regret it; he may be a slave, but he's my also my friend.

After a few moments, Danny straightens back up again. He bows his head, shrugging his shoulders up as far as he can. I've seen it before; it's his way of saying, _I deserved that_. But then he meets my eyes, and he's smiling again. He points down.

"What?" I look where he's pointing. The island is a little over three feet below my feet, and I'm not falling. I stare, amazed at this feeling. I'm doing it! I'm flying!

A hand rests on my shoulder. I turn back to him, and he's watching me. His face shines with unabashed pride. He grins, then backs away until he's twenty feet from me. He holds out his hand, and when I take it, everything fades away. My coronation, the rebellion, my kidnappers, my silver-haired savior... I forget it all. I'm flying with my best friend, and it's the greatest feeling in the world.


End file.
